W. David McBrayer
Encyclopedia
William David McBrayer is an award-winning American
film
, television producer
, writer and entrepreneur.
for a Senate sub-committee.
account, before joining Young & Rubicam/Worldwide, the world's largest advertising agency at the time. McBrayer went client side, at age 27, to become Senior Vice President, Advertising & Brand Management with Culbro's General Cigar
Division, the youngest senior executive in the company's 75 year history. McBrayer later founded Ad Associates, Inc., an advertising and communications company and co- founded National Market Measures, a Cleveland, Ohio
based market research. company whose clients included The World Bank. He sold National Market Measures in 1987.
During his ten years in the New York ad industry, McBrayer won numerous national and international advertising awards, including the prestigious Clio Award, the International Award for Advertising Excellence, the International Television Association Gold Medal Award for Multi-Media, and various print industry readership awards.
In the mid 1990s, McBrayer also co-founded Z Post, LLC, a television production and post-production facility in Atlanta. Z Post's clients included Turner Broadcasting, the Cartoon Network, Vanity Fair
, Avid Technology
, Fox Broadcasting, Channel 36, Warner Bros. Records
, the Billy Graham Association and Walk Thru the Bible
. Z Post produced "Creating Hollywood Style Special Effects on the Avid Media Composer," the first authorized training CD ROM for Avid Technology
, the industry leader in television and film editing and special effects technology.
In 1998, McBrayer sold Digital Solutions for an undisclosed amount.
In 1999, McBrayer created, wrote (along with Touched by an Angel
writer Bob Colleary
) and executive produced a television pilot
entitled Postcards From Heaven, starring Marion Ross
and John Haymes Newton
Postcards From Heaven won the Global Association of Independent Television Award for Outstanding Drama Programing in 2000. McBrayer was awarded the top prize by famed writer/producer Stephen Cannell.
In 2000, Z Post produced "Hope For Africa," a hard-hitting, six-part television series highlighting the AIDS epidemic in Africa, which aired on the South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC). The series was shot on location in South Africa and Kenya. It was during this trip that McBrayer got the inspiration for his 2003 film, Beat The Drum. In 2000, SABC aired “Hope for Africa,” in Swaziland
and more newspapers were sold that day in the paper’s entire history because of the special brochure that was produced to accompany the series.
While filming “Hope for Africa” in Kenya, McBrayer and the production team met with Kenya's then-president Daniel arap Moi
at Moi's private estate to discuss "Hope For Africa," The event was featured on Kenya television and radio. President Moi asked the team to continue its efforts to bring awareness about the AIDS crisis in Africa.
McBrayer began writing the script for the acclaimed feature film, Beat the Drum
following his initial trip to Africa. The film tells the story of a young Zulu boy, Musa, who is orphaned after a mysterious "curse" strikes his village. To help his grandmother, Musa sets out for Johannesburg with his father's last gift, a handmade tribal drum, in search of work and his uncle. The journey confronts him with the stark realities of urban life, but his spirit never wavers. He later returns to his village with a truth and understanding his elders have failed to grasp: that the "curse" that is killing their people is in fact AIDS, a disease that can be prevented.
McBrayer assembled an all South African production team and shot the film in just 26 days during the summer of 2002 on-location in Johannesburg
and KwaZulu-Natal
. The film is dedicated "to Beatrice," his mother, who died in October 2002, during post production.
Starring Clive Scott and Owen Sejake, Beat the Drum premiered at the 2003 Mill Valley Film Festival
. The feature film has won numerous international awards including the prestigious Montreal Zenith D'Or, which was televised live on Montreal television, and the Monaco International Film Festival Angel Award, the festival's top honor, presented to Mr. McBrayer by Miss France.
McBrayer has said that he wrote Beat The Drum to "help give a voice to the voiceless. I simply wanted to be an honest witness to the plight of these kids. When there is a tear in the human fabric we should all feel it."
Variety
heralded the film as “Spectacular," calling it a "handsome well-crafted family drama...naturalistic performances...affecting human drama...first-rate!" Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight
called it, "a film with a big heart and a vital message.” The Hollywood Reporter said, "Audiences were enthralled by this movie." In its on-air interview with director David Hickson and young star Junior Singo (Musa) CNN called the movie, "Profoundly moving and spiritually uplifting."
The movie is represented by Sidney Kimmel International. In 2008 MGM secured the international rights to "Beat the Drum"; Genius/Harvey Weinstein Company acquired the domestic U.S. DVD rights and the DVD was first released in 2008. Showtime/The Movie Channel has contracted for the exclusive North American television rights.
Beat the Drum has won over thirty international film festival awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (David Hickson), Best Supporting Actor , (Owen Sejake), Best Actor (Junior Singo), Best Music (Klaus Badelt and Ramin Djawadi) and several Audience Awards W. David McBrayer wrote and produced the movie. Beatthedrum.com.
In cooperation with Sky Films, proceeds from airline sales of the movie, which was aired in-flight on all major international airlines, provided the financial resources to establish The Beat the Drum Village in Kenyan for AIDS orphans. This non-profit project is on-going and provides family style housing, financial support, education, and medical care for orphans with HIV/AIDS.
On November 12, 2004, his daughter Stacy gave birth to McBrayer's first grandchild, Hannah Beth Troubh.
. McBrayer also ascribes to certain tenants of Eastern philosophy
. His first screenplay, entitled "Synchronicity," delves into this metaphysical phenomenon. McBrayer's feature film, "Beat the Drum" explores the interconnectedness of life, chance encounters, and faith. He has written and co-authored several non-fiction books on New Testament Greek and theology including, "Seven Dynamic Word Studies in the Greek New Testament," "The Original Word -- Introduction to New Testament Greek," and "Granville Sharp's Remarks on the Use of the Definitive Article in the Greek Text of the New Testament." McBrayer was Executive Editor of the Byzantine Majority Textform, often sited as the definitive work on the Majority text of the Greek New Testament.
tournament. He is a cross-country cyclist and has biked BRAG [Bike Riding Across Georgia] from Atlanta to Savannah. In 2005 he completed the Natchez Trace Trail—from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN., an approximately 590 mile trek, with his daughter Lauren. McBrayer is a long-time SCUBA diver, past skydiver, and avid skier. He enjoys yoga, painting, sculpting, and exotic wood bowl turning.
W. David McBrayer is an active member of the Writer's Guild of America/East [WGA/East].
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, writer and entrepreneur.
Education
McBrayer attended the University of Tennessee. He was President of the Student Art League and, while an under graduate, was published in Perceptual and Motor Skills, for his research in perception entitled "Effects of Social Influence in a Recognition Task of Auditory Intensity"." His primary interest was the nexus of art/the creative process/psychology. He graduated from UTC in 1973 with a B.S. in Psychology. He received a MA in Advertising/Mass Communications from Michigan State University in 1976 and was recipient of the Graduate Award for advertising. While in graduate school at MSU McBrayer co-founded PACE Marketing Group, a market research company that conducted consumer research on the UPCUniversal Product Code
The Universal Product Code is a barcode symbology , that is widely used in North America, and in countries including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand for tracking trade items in stores. Its most common form, the UPC-A, consists of 12 numerical digits, which are uniquely assigned to each trade item...
for a Senate sub-committee.
The New York Years (1976-1985)
McBrayer began his advertising career on Madison Avenue in 1976, with Grey Advertising on the Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
account, before joining Young & Rubicam/Worldwide, the world's largest advertising agency at the time. McBrayer went client side, at age 27, to become Senior Vice President, Advertising & Brand Management with Culbro's General Cigar
General Cigar Company
General Cigar Company is one of the largest manufacturers of cigars in the world. It has been owned by Swedish Match since 2005.-Company history:...
Division, the youngest senior executive in the company's 75 year history. McBrayer later founded Ad Associates, Inc., an advertising and communications company and co- founded National Market Measures, a Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
based market research. company whose clients included The World Bank. He sold National Market Measures in 1987.
During his ten years in the New York ad industry, McBrayer won numerous national and international advertising awards, including the prestigious Clio Award, the International Award for Advertising Excellence, the International Television Association Gold Medal Award for Multi-Media, and various print industry readership awards.
Next Steps (1985-1999)
McBrayer co-founded Digital Solutions, Inc., an Atlanta based technology company specializing in digital non-linear editing systems for the film and television industry. DSI was recognized as one of the most successful and innovative companies of its kind in the digital broadcasting industry. While President of DSI won the Outstanding AVID reseller award and McBrayer was selected by UPS for Excellence in Business for his Golden Rule approach to business-to-business marketing. Under his leadership Digital Solutions created the DSI-AVID Educational Center to train professional editors in the latest film and television techniques.In the mid 1990s, McBrayer also co-founded Z Post, LLC, a television production and post-production facility in Atlanta. Z Post's clients included Turner Broadcasting, the Cartoon Network, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, Avid Technology
Avid Technology
Avid Technology, Inc. is an American company specializing in video and audio production technology; specifically, digital non-linear editing systems, management and distribution services. It was created in 1987 and became a publicly traded company in 1993...
, Fox Broadcasting, Channel 36, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, the Billy Graham Association and Walk Thru the Bible
Walk Thru the Bible
Walk Thru the Bible Ministries is a non-denominational evangelical Christian educational organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.-Overview:Walk Thru the Bible was founded in the USA in 1976 by Bruce Wilkinson...
. Z Post produced "Creating Hollywood Style Special Effects on the Avid Media Composer," the first authorized training CD ROM for Avid Technology
Avid Technology
Avid Technology, Inc. is an American company specializing in video and audio production technology; specifically, digital non-linear editing systems, management and distribution services. It was created in 1987 and became a publicly traded company in 1993...
, the industry leader in television and film editing and special effects technology.
In 1998, McBrayer sold Digital Solutions for an undisclosed amount.
In 1999, McBrayer created, wrote (along with Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
writer Bob Colleary
R.J. Colleary
R .J. "Bob" Colleary is an American television producer and writer. He won the 1980 Primetime Emmy Award for his television writing for his work on the sitcom Barney Miller.He worked on the following television series, among others:...
) and executive produced a television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
entitled Postcards From Heaven, starring Marion Ross
Marion Ross
Marion Ross is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Cunningham on the television series Happy Days from 1974 to 1984.-Early life:...
and John Haymes Newton
John Haymes Newton
John Newton is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his regular roles on the television programs Superboy as Clark Kent in the show's first season and as Ryan McBride on the original Melrose Place.-Career:...
Postcards From Heaven won the Global Association of Independent Television Award for Outstanding Drama Programing in 2000. McBrayer was awarded the top prize by famed writer/producer Stephen Cannell.
In 2000, Z Post produced "Hope For Africa," a hard-hitting, six-part television series highlighting the AIDS epidemic in Africa, which aired on the South African Broadcasting Corporation
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
(SABC). The series was shot on location in South Africa and Kenya. It was during this trip that McBrayer got the inspiration for his 2003 film, Beat The Drum. In 2000, SABC aired “Hope for Africa,” in Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
and more newspapers were sold that day in the paper’s entire history because of the special brochure that was produced to accompany the series.
While filming “Hope for Africa” in Kenya, McBrayer and the production team met with Kenya's then-president Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
at Moi's private estate to discuss "Hope For Africa," The event was featured on Kenya television and radio. President Moi asked the team to continue its efforts to bring awareness about the AIDS crisis in Africa.
Beat The Drum
In 2002 McBrayer formed Z Productions LLC in Los Angeles, California and moved the post production company, Z Post LLC, to Hollywood.McBrayer began writing the script for the acclaimed feature film, Beat the Drum
Beat the Drum
Beat the Drum, written and produced by W. David McBrayer and directed by David Hickson, is an award-winning South African film starring Clive Scott and Owen Sejake....
following his initial trip to Africa. The film tells the story of a young Zulu boy, Musa, who is orphaned after a mysterious "curse" strikes his village. To help his grandmother, Musa sets out for Johannesburg with his father's last gift, a handmade tribal drum, in search of work and his uncle. The journey confronts him with the stark realities of urban life, but his spirit never wavers. He later returns to his village with a truth and understanding his elders have failed to grasp: that the "curse" that is killing their people is in fact AIDS, a disease that can be prevented.
McBrayer assembled an all South African production team and shot the film in just 26 days during the summer of 2002 on-location in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
. The film is dedicated "to Beatrice," his mother, who died in October 2002, during post production.
Starring Clive Scott and Owen Sejake, Beat the Drum premiered at the 2003 Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
. The feature film has won numerous international awards including the prestigious Montreal Zenith D'Or, which was televised live on Montreal television, and the Monaco International Film Festival Angel Award, the festival's top honor, presented to Mr. McBrayer by Miss France.
McBrayer has said that he wrote Beat The Drum to "help give a voice to the voiceless. I simply wanted to be an honest witness to the plight of these kids. When there is a tear in the human fabric we should all feel it."
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
heralded the film as “Spectacular," calling it a "handsome well-crafted family drama...naturalistic performances...affecting human drama...first-rate!" Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
called it, "a film with a big heart and a vital message.” The Hollywood Reporter said, "Audiences were enthralled by this movie." In its on-air interview with director David Hickson and young star Junior Singo (Musa) CNN called the movie, "Profoundly moving and spiritually uplifting."
The movie is represented by Sidney Kimmel International. In 2008 MGM secured the international rights to "Beat the Drum"; Genius/Harvey Weinstein Company acquired the domestic U.S. DVD rights and the DVD was first released in 2008. Showtime/The Movie Channel has contracted for the exclusive North American television rights.
Beat the Drum has won over thirty international film festival awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (David Hickson), Best Supporting Actor , (Owen Sejake), Best Actor (Junior Singo), Best Music (Klaus Badelt and Ramin Djawadi) and several Audience Awards W. David McBrayer wrote and produced the movie. Beatthedrum.com.
In cooperation with Sky Films, proceeds from airline sales of the movie, which was aired in-flight on all major international airlines, provided the financial resources to establish The Beat the Drum Village in Kenyan for AIDS orphans. This non-profit project is on-going and provides family style housing, financial support, education, and medical care for orphans with HIV/AIDS.
Family
On September 20, 1972, David and his wife, Sandy, had their first child, Stacy. Their second child, Lauren, was born on March 4, 1980 at NYU Medical Center in New York.On November 12, 2004, his daughter Stacy gave birth to McBrayer's first grandchild, Hannah Beth Troubh.
Philosophical Interests
In college, McBrayer developed a keen interest in the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, and in particular, Jung's concept of synchronicitySynchronicity
Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance and that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner...
. McBrayer also ascribes to certain tenants of Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Korean philosophy...
. His first screenplay, entitled "Synchronicity," delves into this metaphysical phenomenon. McBrayer's feature film, "Beat the Drum" explores the interconnectedness of life, chance encounters, and faith. He has written and co-authored several non-fiction books on New Testament Greek and theology including, "Seven Dynamic Word Studies in the Greek New Testament," "The Original Word -- Introduction to New Testament Greek," and "Granville Sharp's Remarks on the Use of the Definitive Article in the Greek Text of the New Testament." McBrayer was Executive Editor of the Byzantine Majority Textform, often sited as the definitive work on the Majority text of the Greek New Testament.
Hobbies
In 1994, McBrayer won the Birmingham Open in fencing, a regional fencingFencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
tournament. He is a cross-country cyclist and has biked BRAG [Bike Riding Across Georgia] from Atlanta to Savannah. In 2005 he completed the Natchez Trace Trail—from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN., an approximately 590 mile trek, with his daughter Lauren. McBrayer is a long-time SCUBA diver, past skydiver, and avid skier. He enjoys yoga, painting, sculpting, and exotic wood bowl turning.
W. David McBrayer is an active member of the Writer's Guild of America/East [WGA/East].